The Ethnic Unity and Progress Promotion Law of the People's Republic of China, China's fundamental law on ethnic affairs, took effect on July 1, 2026.
Since the 18th National Congress of the CPC, in 2012, the CPC Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core has attached great importance to work involving the nation's ethnic groups. Further, the CPC Central Committee has stressed that fostering a strong sense of community for the Chinese nation should be a focus in the Party's work on ethnic affairs in the new era and a focus in the work on all fronts in ethnic regions. Xi's thoughts on strengthening and improving ethnic work have since been formed.
Women's federations, at all levels, have since focused on forging a strong sense of community for the Chinese nation, and they have played their role as a bridge connecting the Party and the government and women. Through various women-oriented activities, the federations have guided women, of all ethnic groups, in unswervingly following the Party's lead, and in contributing their wisdom and strength to building a strong nation and realizing the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation.
Women, from diverse ethnic groups, regions and social sectors, have been striving for excellence in their work, to live in harmony and reach out to each other in adversity, and to vividly demonstrate the profound meaning of "All ethnic groups are one family, jointly building the Chinese Dream together."
This article focuses on the story of Zhang Yaling, head of the teaching department at Ciyantang Red Education Training Center, Longshan County in Xiangxi Tujia and Miao Autonomous Prefecture, in central China's Hunan Province.
Longshan, a county in Xiangxi Tujia and Miao Autonomous Prefecture, in central China's Hunan Province, is steeped in revolutionary history. For example, it was part of the Hunan-Hubei-Sichuan-Guizhou revolutionary base during the 1930s, and also the starting point of the Long March by the Second and Sixth Corps of the Red Army.
Zhang Yaling, a role model for ethnic unity and progress in Hunan Province, is head of the teaching department at Ciyantang Red Education Training Center, in Longshan County. Zhang is also a senior docent at Memorial Hall of Hunan-Hubei-Sichuan-Guizhou Revolutionary Base, and the surrounding red-tourist sites. Zhang says the exhibition hall is an immersive classroom, where the revolutionary artifacts serve as vivid teaching materials, which promote revolutionary traditions and forge a strong sense of community for the Chinese nation.
Leading tours through the memorial hall, and its surrounding red landmarks, is far more than a routine duty for Zhang; in reality, she believes it is a living conversation with history, a quiet tribute to the revolutionary martyrs, and a bridge connecting the past with the present.
Situated deep in the Wuling Mountains — a region spanning Chongqing Municipality and the provinces of Hunan, Hubei and Guizhou — Longshan is home to various ethnic groups, including the Tujia and Miao. When she is preparing her scripts, Zhang makes it a point to explore the stories of ethnic unity from China's revolutionary history.
One such story dates back to 1935, during which the Second and Sixth Corps of the Red Army established a base at Ciyantang, and the forces launched a recruitment drive in the surrounding areas. People from various ethnic groups answered the call, with great enthusiasm. In just three months, nearly 10,000 recruits had joined the ranks. A folk song recounting this episode spread among the locals.
Zhang recites the song, in the local dialect, and then shares the story behind it, while guiding tours. She believes the song stands as a testament to the bond between the army and the people, and to the solidarity that united the various ethnic communities during the revolution. Zhang uses the song to help her audience — especially young people — forge a strong sense of community for the Chinese nation.
"Moving forward, I will continue exploring the rich stories of ethnic unity from revolutionary times, and I will embed the spirit of the Ethnic Unity and Progress Promotion Law into my scripts, blending revolutionary traditions with the vision of ethnic unity and progress," says Zhang.
Zhang customizes her docent services, to accommodate audiences of varying ages and backgrounds. For young visitors, she organizes field trips, which allow them to experience the hardships of spring planting and autumn harvest. For the elderly, she weaves folk songs and dialects into the stories of local villagers and Red Army soldiers, evoking memories that strike a deep chord. For CPC members, she conducts oath-renewal ceremonies and recitals of revolutionary family letters. During the past five years, Zhang has conducted more than 2,000 voluntary tours, attended by more than 120,000 visitors, combined.
Zhang's deep respect and passion for revolutionary history sustain her at her post, through both the scorching heat and bitter cold, and help her bring the relics to life and keep the red legacy alive, all through her impassioned storytelling.
In October 2024, the memorial hall was added to the list of provincial-level CPC member education and training demonstration bases in Hunan. As both a witness to and a driving force of this progress, Zhang has played a role in the coordinated development of the local red-tourism industry. She has helped develop immersive training programs for CPC members, through integrated approaches; for example, by combining red resources with education, culture, industry, green development and rural revitalization.
With the law now in effect, Ciyantang Red Education Training Center is setting its sights on a broader network, throughout the surrounding areas. The center, with relevant authorities, is developing a "one-hour training circle," with Longshan County at its core, and the circle will cover Sangzhi, Yongshun and Huayuan counties in Hunan, Laifeng and Xianfeng counties in Hubei, and Qianjiang District in Chongqing. The new, red-education route, which will combine the revolutionary landmarks and ethnic cultural treasures across the region, will offer immersive programs that combine Party history, ethnic unity and rural revitalization.
Zhang has mapped out plans for her future work. She intends to innovate her docent services, and she will provide interactive, law-popularization activities, regularly, to raise public understanding and awareness of the policies and laws regarding ethnic unity.
Photos from Interviewee
(Women of China English Monthly July 2026)
Editor: Wang Shasha
